Dragon Skin - Karen Foxlee

Pip hates being at home as her mother’s boyfriend, Matt, is controlling and easily angered; her mum is scared, and the house is no fun.  Instead, Pip spends her time outdoors, in the creek and the waterhole.  She used to share the time with her friend, Mika, but he’s gone now, so she passes the time alone.  That is until she finds a baby dragon and smuggles it home to save it from dying.  But can she save the dragon and can she also save herself and her mum from the life they are living?

I know that Karen’s first book, Lenny’s Book of Everything, isn’t widely talked about on Twitter (it really should be, and if you haven’t read it yet, I highly recommend you do!) but it’s a book that stayed with me long after I’d finished reading it (the characters still pop up in my mind from time to time), so I was both excited and intrigued to see what Karen would do with her next book.

There are books that I read that demand to be devoured in one sitting such is the pace and excitement, and then there are books that beg to be savoured, to be read slowly so as to take in every little nuance and emotion the book throws at you.  Dragon Skin most definitely falls into the latter category, and I relished every moment and every word.

The book is beautifully written and is a gentle yet powerful read.  The pace reflects long hot sunny days in Australia where children have endless time on their hands (although there are times when Pip is in school).  There is no definite period of time given but I imagined it being set in the 1970s (perhaps that’s because it’s when I was a child so remember having endless summer days to while away!). 

The plot is a thought-provoking one and I found myself contemplating the characters between reads!  The book is set in a small mining town where every house is identical, everybody knows each other, and the men go out drinking at the end of the day.  Pip’s life is a complex one: we know that her home life is difficult and that  her mum is suffering domestic abuse (much of this is inferred, but Matt’s drinking, controlling behaviour and short temper; not to mention Pip’s mum’s behaviour, strongly suggest emotional if not physical abuse).  We also know that Pip is missing her best-friend, Mika, who has gone away – we just don’t know where.  As a result, this is a young lady who is lonely and troubled.  She is desperate for things to change in her life and so the dragon’s timing is perfect.  She names him Little Fella and he becomes the focus of all of her attention (a welcome distraction from everything else in her life) and gives a purpose to her days.  She forms a bond with the dragon in more ways than one and I can’t help but feel that the cut she receives and the subsequent feelings she has with her skin are a metaphor for the constraints she is living under and the shackles her life has her in.

Dragon Skin is a book that made me breathe out every time I picked it up; I felt the beauty of the writing relax me as I read and Pip and Little Fella crept under my skin and made me want to hug them.  Pip develops an inner strength that isn’t overtly obvious but which is truly remarkable and I shall forever wonder what has happened to her after the end of the book. 

Dragon Skin is food for the soul and a book that brought a tear to my eye and filled my heart at the end. 

Published on the 28th October, I highly urge you to spend some time in Australia with Pip and Little Fella.  I promise that your life will be just that little bit better for it. 

Wishyouwas - Alexandra Page

Penny Black is staying with her Uncle Frank over the Christmas of 1952 in a smog-filled London whilst her mum is away as a pilot, delivering mail.  With her uncle busy running his post-office, Penny is feeling lonely until she finds a small, furry talking creature in the post office one evening.  The creature, Wishyouwas, is reluctant to tell Penny anything at first, as he doesn't want to give anything away, but then tells Penny that he is called Wishyouwas and is a Sorter, second class.  He and his friends make up a secret underground team of sorters who rescue lost mail deliver undeliverable letters.  However, they have to remain hidden as the Royal Mail's rat catcher, Stanley Scrawl is a huge threat to them.  Can Penny hep to keep the Sorters safe?

From the very beginning, you are plunged into 1950s London and immersed in Penny's life, complete with the thick smog that envelopes the city, making it difficult to see anything more than a few inches in front of you.  The post-office setting and Penny's loneliness, only having her busy uncle for company, is the perfect setting and the introduction of Wishyouwas is incredibly cute!

Wishyouwas is the most adorable creature, with his good manners and his bad grammar, his determination to do the right thing by everyone and his love for what he does, I think everyone will want to reach into the book and take him home for themselves (or what that just me?!).  He compliments Penny perfectly who is incredibly strong and brave; her loneliness is the crux of why she is in the post office at night in the first place: she's missing her mum.  The relationship is a lovely one to read and the trust, loyalty and love that develops between them will warm even the hardest heart.  Stanley Scrawl, on the other hand, is a sinister and creepy character and, along with his dog Ripper, I have to say I was wary from the very first time they appeared on the page.  Stanley made me shiver!

I have to mention how much I love the names that are given to each of the characters, with the subtle references to the world of letters: WishYouWas, Handlewithcare, Withlove and Penny Black, to name a few.  It's these touches that make the book feel special.

This is a truly gorgeous story and one that felt like it was giving you a huge hug as I read it!  Enchanting and full of imagination that will captivate the readers; the action will keep you gripped and although it is set at Christmas, it isn't overtly Christmassy so will be a perfect read at any time of the year.  For my mind, Wishyouwas is destined to become a much-loved classic book that will be read for years to come.

Polly Pecorino: The Girl Who Rescues Animals - Emma Chichester Clark

Polly lives in the small town of Abbeville which is protected by high walls so that the bears of Wild Bear Woods cannot come near the townsfolk.  The locals are terrified of the bears and this includes Polly whose unique talent means that she can talk to animals.  It is this that helps her rescue them and means that she loves to spend all of her spare time caring for the animals at Happy Days Zoo, along with her Uncle Stan; however, the owners of the zoo, Mr and Mrs Snell, are rather less caring about the animals and are more interested in money.  As a result, Mrs Snell steals a bear cub from Wild Bear Woods to be the new prize exhibit.  The cub, Booboo, is terrified of his new surroundings and misses his family so Polly takes it upon herself to care for him.  At the same time she is worried that the ferocious bears will venture from the wood to recue the cub.  Can Polly save the day and is she brave enough to venture into Wild Bear Woods to return Booboo before anybody gets hurt?

Polly's wonderfully caring, gentle character shines of the pages.  Her unique ability allows her to empathise and see the world from the animals' points of view.  Her bravery is evident at various times in the book and she will be a character that readers will warm to.  Unlike the Snells!  Mrs Snell in particular is a rather unpleasant character whose soul concern is monetary gain for her own benefit.  She is incredibly selfish and undoubtedly dominates her husband who appears to be easily lead by her - they are well written and readers will enjoy hating them!

Setting the story in a walled town gives the whole book a rather traditional feel, as does the use of bears along with the them versus us plot.  For me, the zoo setting took me back to happy days spent at Edinburgh Zoo as a child, making the zoo in the book perfectly named!  However, at the beginning, the animals are anything but happy, which is where Polly comes in.

I'm always on the look out for well-written books for lower key stage 2 and Polly Pecorino fits the bill perfectly!  With chapters that are a manageable length, wonderful illustrations throughout and messages of kindness, respecting animals and doing the right thing, I will most definitely be adding this book to the school library! 

Ghostcloud - Michael Mann

 

Luke is a 12 year old boy who has been kidnapped, along with many other children, and spends his life shovelling coal under Battersea Power Station, run by the evil Tabatha.  Life is hard and every child dreams of escape by winning one of the coveted amber tickets which will send them home.  However, when Luke tries to help Jess who is new, this earns both of them a punishment.  They are sent to the clean the sewers in the East Wing which is reportedly haunted.  Whilst there, Luke discovers he can see ghosts and, as a result, befriends Alma.  However, when Luke discovers exactly what Tabatha is doing with the power station and what her intentions are, can Luke and his friends stop her before it's too late?

This book really gripped me!  From the dark and scary underground coal seams where the children live and work in terror, with coal dust underground and smog dominating the city of London above ground, life is not easy.  This is a dystopian world where the war with Europe has damaged London, leaving only two of the chimneys at the power station working; parts of the city have been flooded and The Channel Tunnel is closed.  The setting most definitely helps to create the tense atmosphere.

Luke is a resilient character; determined to escape with one of those coveted amber tickets, but also kind and caring, and friendship means a lot to him,  which is why he reaches out to help Jess.  His love for his family also shines through.  However, in complete contrast, there is Tabatha.  For me, the name conjures up innocence (I'm showing my age here but perhaps it stems from one of my favourite childhood programmes: Bewitched!), but this Tabatha couldn't be more different!  She is one of those evil characters who causes me to panic!  I genuinely felt my pulse rising when she was in the story, especially towards the end of the book.  The control she exudes over everyone is scary and she will undoubtedly be a character that readers will love to hate.

This is a gripping book where the desperation to escape oozes out of the pages; it's full of hope and friendship, and the end of the book kept me up way past my bed-time as the need to know what was going to happen left me speechless! I sincerely hope there will be a sequel!

Released on the 7th October, this will be a great book to curl up with as the nights draw in.

The Ash House Blog Tour

The Ash House is a creepy book that will grip you, scare you and unsettle you in equal measure, and it will keep you questioning so you’ll find it difficult to put the book down.  It's a chilling MG horror book about friendship, memory and control that will be a hit with readers aged 10+.  Read my full review here: https://kandobonkersaboutbooks.blogspot.com/2021/08/ash-house-angharad-walker.html

Today, I am delighted to welcome Angharad Walker to my blog as she explains why the setting is always the starting point for her books.

Why setting is always my starting point

When I first had the idea for The Ash House, it was no more than an idea for a compelling setting. I could see it very clearly in my mind’s eye, like I was a bird or drone, swooping over a winding driveway until I saw a place made of ash and smoke, hidden deep in countryside. I could see the dormitory where the children sleep: a decaying greenhouse, overrun with plants and shadows. I knew every step of the ancient woods and the shoreline of the small lake where the children go swimming. All of it gave me that feeling of excitement that authors live for. The voice that says: yes, let’s spend some time here.

Over the years, the rest of the story arrived on the page. The setting was my guiding light. To make it as vivid as possible, I tried to write with my senses. How would the house look and smell? How does it look in sunshine, snow and rain? If a speck of ash lands on the tongue, what does it taste like?

This often the way with most of the fiction I write, and it doesn’t surprise me. I’m drawn to stories that transport me, and what’s more transporting than a setting you wish you could teleport to?

When I first had the idea for The Ash House, I was in the middle of reading We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson. It was my first time reading Jackson, and I have been bewitched by the menace, beauty and magic that populates the worlds she creates ever since. I’ve always been drawn to places in literature that feel like they have a role to play in the story: the mansion in The Haunting of Hill House, the Yorkshire moors in Wuthering Heights, the island in Lord of the Flies. In my book, the Ash House itself is just as an important presence as any of the characters who live there.

While to the rest of the world The Ash House is my first novel, it is really my third. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager. But I never stopped to ask myself why I write the way I do. Part of being published is that I now do interviews where readers ask me, so I have to slow down and think about it! And when I do, I realise that my obsession with setting makes a lot of sense.

I grew up in a military family, so we moved around a lot. To myself, all my family, and to our friends and neighbours, this was completely normal. I count myself incredibly lucky to have lived in interesting places in such a tight-knit community. But the result of moving a lot—across countries, over several generations—is that you don’t really have a hometown. You don’t have a school that everybody in your community attended. You can’t visit the streets where your parents and grandparents grew up. I am half Welsh, and still don’t know Wales as well as I would like. But the way to make up for all this is through story: the Welsh town my grandparents were born in, the army bases in Singapore, Malaysia, Belgium and Germany when my parents grew up, pets and schools and friends and houses all exist through anecdotes that are carefully passed on. These stories are a feeling of connection, a great gift.

I wonder if that’s what the Ash House is. A place I have spent a lot of time—although only in my mind—and now it’s time to pass it on.

The Ash House published on the 2nd September so why not head out and pick up your copy today?

Following Frankenstein - Catherine Bruton

 

Set in Victorian England, Maggie's father has been absent for much of her life as his desire to hunt down the monster created by Frankenstein has slowly become an obsession that has taken over his life.  As a result, Maggie and her family have lost everything they have, meaning that they now live in rooms at the docks in London.  Now, Maggie's father is pinning everything on one final voyage.  Maggie secretly boards the ship and makes the journey with him.  When they arrive at their destination, they meet a community of Inuit people who inform them that they have met the monster and his child.  At this point, I don't want to say any more as I don't want to spoil the book for you (you'll have to read it for yourself); however, I will say that news of the child shocks everyone and changes the expedition.  Will Maggie's father succeed in his quest; how will Maggie react to the events that unfold?

I read Frankenstein many years ago and often wondered what happened after the end of the book so the thought of a 'sequel' really appealed to me.  As historical fiction, the style of writing complements the time period but I thoroughly like the fact that Maggie is a positive and strong character.  Despite her father having lost everything, she makes the most of things at the beginning of the book, telling groups of children the story of Frankenstein to entertain them.  Her strength comes to the fore with her determination not to be left behind and her subsequent actions in the book.  She is kind, caring and refuses to be squashed.

Journeying from the docks of London, across to the Arctic and then down to America, this is an epic gothic adventure that will keep readers gripped.  I also enjoyed the links to Moby Dick and The Last of the Mohicans, as well as other classics; although children may not be aware of these books, it's a great way to begin to get them interested in a wider range of literature.

With strong messages about resilience, friendship and accepting differences, this will definitely be another hit for Catherine, and I'm looking forward to seeing what she writes next.

How Not To Be A Vampire Slayer - Katy Birchall

 

Maggie and her family have just moved to their new home, a rundown house in a town called Goreway on the Yorkshire coast.  The town is in the middle of nowhere and the house is on its own on the edge of Skeleton Woods, a place full of history and legends and a place no-one is allowed to go.  Maggie begins her new school rather warily as she didn't have many friends in her previous school: she was known as the weird child after her classmates discovered her love of spooky legends.  Here, however, she makes friends with Ari and Miles.  One day, when venturing into the forest, Maggie stumbles across a castle which is supposed to be enchanted against humans where she discovers a host of vampires, including Sharptooth, a vegetarian vampire who is desperate to be her friend.  Meanwhile, in town, Mayor Collyfleur is determined to persuade the locals that the forest should be destroyed in favour of a luxury golf course.  Can Maggie and her friends persuade the locals that the mayor is wrong whilst also persuading everyone that their neighbourly vampires need protecting instead.

Maggie is a fearless young lady who clearly isn't afraid of anything, especially not spooky stories and anything that would send many of us running for the safety of our bed!  She's different and I like that (I also know several children at school who will appreciate this).  I also like the fact that she is accepted for who she is by Ari and Miles.  The trio complement each other wonderfully: Ari is bouncy and care-free, whereas Miles is more studious and sensible; together the three of them are people I would love to get to know.  I also need to mention Sharptooth who is quite the opposite of any vampire you may have met before!  She is happy, friendly, curious and vegetarian!  

I'm building quite the collection of spooky books for Hallowe'en so I was looking forward to reading this and I wasn't disappointed!  This book is funny and perfect for those who want a great Hallowe'en read without being spooked!  

The book has all the ingredients of a great Hallowe'en read: isolated house on the edge of a forest; mysterious legends of vanishing people; a hidden, creepy castle; vampires galore!  But it also has humour and friendship, messages about not judging people ... and beetroot juice and ketchup!  How Not To Be A Vampire Slayer will make a wonderful addition to my spooky books collection and I know that it will go down well in school.